"Oh yeah, Tommy, is my house done being renovated?" After joking around for a bit, Dexter asked Tommy.
1
Tommy grinned. "Of course. Finished it exactly how you wanted a while ago. Furniture, appliances, even security cameras—all set."
"But, your place has been sitting empty for a long time... I can't guarantee what shape it's in right now."
"Shouldn't be anything major, though. That kid Carl watched it for you every day. Probably no one got in to steal anything."
Tommy rattled it off all at once. "Gave the keys and the leftover cash to Kevin."
"Thanks," Dexter said, turning to Kevin and holding out a hand. "Give me the keys. I'll go check it out. If it's livable, I'm crashing there tonight."
Kevin hadn't even thought about it until now. He quickly dug under the bar, found the keys and the envelope with the remaining money, and handed them to Dexter, grinning widely. "Dexter, you're gonna love it. Tommy did a killer job on your place."
"I was jealous just looking at it. If I wasn't broke, I'd have him redo our place exactly like that."
Tommy chuckled hearing that. "Kevin, I'm just waiting for you to hire me."
"Then drink more and tip us better," Veronica fired back with a smile.
Tommy laughed. "So basically, I give you my money, so you can use my money to pay me to fix your house? I ain't stupid."
The whole crew cracked up.
Dexter took the keys and cash, checking the time.
Just past 9:00 PM. Not too late.
He thought for a second.
"Kevin, V, how about you close up early, head over to my new place, and we grill some meat?" Dexter suggested.
"Hell yeah," Kevin agreed instantly. Bar was practically empty anyway; wasn't making any real money tonight.
Veronica had no objections either.
"Then it's settled. V, grab Svetlana, Mickey, and Vivian. Bianca and I will go buy the meat... see you at my place at 10:30," Dexter said.
"Sounds good. See you at 10:30."
Soon, Dexter and Bianca got up to leave, heading straight for the grocery store.
Daijiu and Little Crow were left in the car, obviously.
Supermarket was still open.
Dexter grabbed a cart and smirked at Bianca. "Perfect chance for me to learn what you like."
Bianca had looked a little unnatural since they walked into the store. Hearing that made her look even more awkward.
Why?
Because to Bianca, grocery shopping like this felt way too much like they were a married couple...
"I don't really have any strong preferences..." Bianca said, a bit flustered, avoiding his eyes.
Dexter noticed something was off but didn't know why. "You okay?"
"Huh? I'm fine," Bianca quickly denied it, cheeks feeling hot. She instantly changed the subject. "Hurry up and grab the meat before they close."
"You're acting weird," Dexter thought about it for a second but couldn't figure it out.
"No, I'm not. I'm completely normal," Bianca shook her head repeatedly, then forced a smile and deflected again. "Your house probably doesn't have any daily essentials, right? Want to buy some?"
"Yeah, definitely need to stock up. Let's get two sets of everything," Dexter said casually.
Bianca: "...Okay."
Great. Her cheeks were burning now.
Dexter: "?????"
He thought and thought.
Ding.
He realized one possibility.
Was it because doing this meant their relationship was taking a step forward?
If so...
What the hell goes through Comrade Bianca's head?
Interesting, Dexter thought silently, keeping his mouth shut so he wouldn't spook her.
Seeing Dexter drop it, Bianca let out a sigh of relief, slowly relaxed, and started shopping normally.
As they shopped.
A question popped into Bianca's head. "Are you going to be eating at home... at your house from now on? Or always at the restaurant?"
"If you cook, we eat at home," Dexter understood and replied with a soft laugh.
Bianca immediately turned her head away and didn't make a sound.
But quiet or not, after a little while, she started silently loading the cart with ingredients for various Western dishes.
Dexter watched, highly amused.
They shopped for nearly an hour, managing to grab everything, check out, and leave right before the store closed. They headed toward 2118 North Wallace.
---
In the empty lot next to the Gallagher house.
Inside a cheap kiddie pool.
Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Karen, plus Fiona and her current flavor of the week, Jack, were splashing around, having a blast, and enjoying a cheap way to beat the brutal summer heat.
Dexter drove past, saw them, turned the wheel, pulled over, rolled down the window, and yelled, "Carl."
Hearing that.
Carl jolted, whipped his head around, and saw Dexter and his car.
"Dexter!" Carl yelled excitedly. Didn't waste a second. Hopped out of the pool and sprinted over to the car, grinning ear to ear. "You're back!"
"Yeah, just got in today. Go change your clothes and come over to my place for a BBQ. Sound good?" Dexter invited him.
Carl nodded instantly. "Hell yeah. Be right there."
Dropping that line, the scrawny kid took off running toward his house, looking ecstatic.
Dexter genuinely liked the kid and smiled brightly.
Bianca noticed. "You really like that kid, don't you?"
Dexter blinked at her, a wicked idea popping into his head. He deliberately looked at her stomach and smirked. "If it was my kid, I'd like them even more."
Bianca: "?????"
Who am I? Where am I?
Why did I have to open my big mouth?
Bianca quickly lowered her head, playing ostrich.
Didn't hear it. Nope. Heard absolutely nothing.
Hahahaha. Seeing her reaction, Dexter was thoroughly entertained.
In the pool.
Fiona and the rest were watching Dexter and Bianca...
Watched for a few seconds.
Fiona was the first to look away.
Lip kept staring, a thought creeping into his mind: Fuck Bianca to get back at Dexter.
Ian thought it was interesting and thought of Mickey.
Debbie didn't have any specific thoughts, just thought Bianca was really pretty.
Jack, soaking next to Fiona, wasn't an idiot. He noticed her reaction. Thinking for a second, he wrapped an arm around her waist, marking his territory.
In the car.
Having teased Bianca and casually glanced at the Gallaghers, Dexter couldn't be bothered to look anymore. He hit the gas, pulled forward a bit, and parked in front of his new house.
From the outside, the place looked damn good. And surprisingly, the doors and windows weren't smashed, and there was zero graffiti on the walls.
Dexter gave it a quick look and was satisfied. "Ms. Green, we've arrived. Time to get out."
"Oh..." Bianca replied, not daring to say more in case she messed up again. She obediently got out.
Just as they walked to the trunk.
Mickey came tearing down the street in a beat-up junker, slammed on the brakes, and parked right behind them.
Seeing Mickey, and Mandy riding shotgun, Dexter smiled as a greeting.
Mickey and Mandy got out.
Mickey still had that arrogant, tough-guy attitude. Cigarette dangling from his mouth, he gave Dexter a nod. "Long time no see."
Mandy, wearing a long black dress and actually looking pretty good, was much friendlier. She smiled brightly. "Mr. Dexter, long time no see. Came to join the party."
"Welcome, welcome. Don't just stand there, help grab some bags," Dexter said bluntly.
Mickey didn't say a word, just started moving along with Mandy.
Right then.
Carl, having changed clothes, rushed out of his house and sprinted over to Dexter. "I'll help carry stuff too."
Seeing Carl, Dexter had an idea and smiled. "Carl, do me another favor. Go ask Ian if he wants to come over for BBQ. Tell him there's a lot of people."
"!!!!" Mickey, who had just picked up a few bags, froze. Then he gritted his teeth, looking like he wanted to punch the bastard right then and there.
Carl wasn't a genius, but he wasn't completely stupid either. He didn't ask if he should invite the others. He just nodded. "Okay."
With that, Carl jogged back to the pool and relayed Dexter's invite to Ian.
Hearing it, Ian instantly guessed Mickey was probably there and smiled. "Who else is there?"
"I just saw Mickey and Mandy," Carl answered honestly.
"Cool. Head back, I'll be there in a minute," Ian said directly, getting out of the pool.
Seeing this, Fiona instinctively tried to stop him. "Ian, you don't really know them. Don't go."
Ian ignored her, not breaking stride. "Mandy and I are friends."
Fiona couldn't really argue with that and reluctantly shut her mouth.
In the pool.
Karen quietly glanced over at Dexter's place. She wanted to go, but didn't know if it was appropriate, so she stayed quiet.
---
Dexter and the other four, loaded down with bags, walked into the house and flipped on the lights.
The interior of the house was slowly revealed to them.
Gotta say, for a shithole like the South Side, everything in this house—from the renovation to the furniture and appliances—was absolutely luxurious.
Even better, it wasn't some tacky, gaudy luxury. It was clean, sleek, and minimalist.
"Tommy's pretty damn good," Dexter said, genuinely satisfied.
Bianca immediately nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it really looks amazing."
Mandy loved the mix of minimalism and luxury too, feeling a pang of regret. "Damn, should've hired Tommy to do our place."
Mickey kept his tough guy act going. "It's alright, I guess."
Hearing that, Mandy punched him without hesitation. "If you don't know how to talk, shut the hell up."
Carl looked proud. "I already saw it before. It's awesome in here!"
The furniture and appliances were all covered with dust sheets.
Since it had been sitting for a while, the sheets had gathered a layer of dust.
Dexter planned on sleeping here tonight, so some basic cleaning was necessary. "Alright, don't just stand around. Mickey, you guys take the meat and beer to the backyard. Kevin and the rest should be here soon, so get started on that. Bianca and I need to clean up the house."
Mickey, Mandy, and Carl didn't argue and immediately got to work.
About two minutes later, Ian walked into the house, gave a quick greeting to Dexter and Bianca, and headed straight for the backyard.
A few minutes after that.
Kevin, Veronica, Svetlana, and Vivian all walked in together.
Naturally, all four of them praised the house.
Then, Vivian thoughtfully started helping them clean up.
Dexter didn't refuse, telling Kevin and the others to head to the backyard and get busy.
"Vivian, I heard from V that you went traveling and ended up having a miserable time again?" Dexter asked with a laugh.
Vivian didn't care at all, smiling brightly and shaking her head. "It wasn't miserable. Just lost my money again. Ended up walking back."
Dexter totally understood. "Where did you walk back from?"
"Miami," Vivian replied casually. "Heard Miami was beautiful, so I bought a ticket and went. It really was fun, the ocean was gorgeous. But then I ran out of money, so I walked back. Walked a bit, played a bit. It was super interesting."
As she spoke.
"?????" Bianca was dumbfounded, looking at Vivian with absolute disbelief. She couldn't help but ask, "Vivian, you walked back from Miami? On foot?"
Vivian smiled radiantly and nodded. "Yeah... at first I wanted to swim back, but I got turned around in the water. Swam for a while and realized I was going the wrong way, so I had to get out and walk instead."
"????" Bianca was speechless for a few seconds. "You're fucking with me, right?"
Bianca's reaction was hilarious.
Dexter cracked up and spoke up. "You idiot. Of course she's joking. You actually believed that?"
After saying that, Dexter subtly winked at Vivian, signaling her to play along.
Vivian was smart, caught on instantly, and smiled at Bianca. "Hehe, just kidding."
Bianca was speechless and rolled her eyes at Dexter. "Can you two act normal for once?"
Dexter and Vivian exchanged a smile, clearly enjoying themselves.
The three of them spent about ten minutes taking all the dust sheets off the furniture and appliances. After that, they ignored the remaining dust for now, walked out the back door, and joined Kevin and the crew in the backyard.
Over three months since they last saw each other.
Everyone quickly cracked open beers and started getting loud.
Daijiu and Little Crow were in the backyard too, one flying, one chasing, having the time of their lives.
Dexter sat in a chair, quietly taking it all in.
If nothing else, living here with a backyard this size was definitely a win for the pets.
"Carl, want a beer?" Dexter asked, in a great mood.
Carl instantly nodded excitedly.
Dexter grabbed a bottle and handed it over. "Just one. Don't go crazy."
"Got it!" Carl took the beer, answering seriously.
Ian saw it, gave a faint smile, but didn't stop him.
Carl used to sneak beers anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.
"What kind of crazy shit happened at your house over the last three months?" Dexter asked casually while chatting with Carl.
Carl didn't overthink it and just spilled everything he knew.
Past three months at the Gallagher house had actually been relatively quiet. Nothing major happened.
Lip went back to school.
Carl, Debbie, and Ian's lives hadn't changed much, except they all gave up some free time to hustle and make money...
Of course, their version of "hustling" was the same old scamming and stealing.
Fiona was working three jobs, barely home. Kept it up for about two months before losing one, so she had a little more free time now.
Also, over the last three months, Fiona had cycled through about seven different guys, successfully unlocking the 100-body-count achievement. Averaged a new guy every two weeks... Shortest one lasted three days. Longest one was the current guy, Jack, who'd been around for over three weeks.
Frank stayed in the hospital for about a month before breaking out. Went back to Sheila's place and was still living there.
"That's about it," Carl said, looking up.
"Your family's life is always entertaining," Dexter commented. "Tommy said you helped watch my house?"
Carl smirked proudly. "Yeah. After it got fixed up, a lot of people tried to mess with it. Some wanted to break in and steal shit, others wanted to spray paint it to make it look like trash. I chased them all off."
This was the South Side. Dexter easily understood the situations Carl described.
But understanding aside, he was still curious. "How'd you chase them off?"
"Told them I'd call the cops," Carl answered like a total badass. "I also went and got Mickey. He came over with a gun a few times, and those guys never came back."
"Smart!" Dexter was slightly surprised Mickey actually helped. He gave Carl a thumbs up.
"Hehe," Carl grinned cockily.
Chatted a bit longer, then Dexter let Carl go play. Found Mickey and thanked him.
Mickey kept his usual arrogant attitude.
Dexter didn't care, joked around a bit, checked the time, and went back to Bianca. "You got work tomorrow. Time for you to get some sleep?"
Bianca gave a small smile. "It's fine. I don't go in until 10:00."
"Oh? Then we can play a little longer tonight," Dexter smirked wickedly.
Bianca instantly knew what he meant and put on a serious face. "...No. Can't be late or I'll get yelled at."
"Haha, alright, alright," Dexter laughed out loud.
Time flew by.
Everyone was talking and laughing.
Dexter spun some bullshit stories about what happened in Alaska over the last three months.
Kevin and the crew basically believed him...
Which made sense. Alaska was a mystery to them. No matter how crazy the story, it sounded plausible.
Before they knew it, it was 12:30 AM.
Everyone had to work the next day, so they wrapped up the short get-together, cleaned up, and headed home.
---
Inside the house.
Dexter and Bianca took a shower and got into bed. Neither was sleepy yet, so they turned on the TV.
Watched for a few minutes.
Dexter's hands started wandering.
"You have to wake me up in the morning and drive me to work," Bianca whispered.
"Deal."
Bianca slid under the covers and got to work.
Dexter quietly enjoyed it.
Life here was actually pretty damn good.
Didn't have to deal with all the annoying bullshit like in Albuquerque...
Of course.
There were still annoying things here too.
Like Bianca's cancer.
Got about five years left...
Will there be something useful in the loot boxes?